In this
issue ofProcess Heating,
we bring you a lineup that includes an article that wraps up a six-part series
as well as those on selecting dryers for pharmaceutical applications,
temperature controller buying tips, infrared temperature sensors used in food
processing, and a case history about water cooling for plastics processing.
Throughout 2007, Jay Hudson, P.E., president of J. G. Hudson & Associates,
Salisbury, N.C., a specialty engineering firm concentrating in process-related
engineering services, has outlined selection tips for the components that make
up a thermal fluid system. Past articles in the series addressed choosing the
thermal fluid as well as an overview of thermal fluid heater types, pumps
concerns and proper expansion tank installation and operation. In “Piping,
Valves & Insulation,” Hudson “ties” the system together with a look at
piping materials, valves and insulation concerns.
In his article on drying systems for pharmaceutical applications, Francis X.
McConville, a senior consultant for Impact Technology Consultants, Lincoln,
Mass., notes that drying is a key operation during the production of
crystalline active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). Proper drying produces
consistent, stable, free-flowing materials suitable for the next stage in the
pharmaceutical production process, says McConville in “Tips for Drying Active
Pharmaceutical Ingredients.” While a number of dryer types are offered for
pharmaceutical applications, conducting a drying study can help you determine
where the major resistances to drying occur with your product, McConville
notes. The results of such a study can help you identify the best types of
drying systems to deliver the characteristics desired in your pharmaceutical
products.
In “5 Steps to Choosing a Temperature Controller,” Michael Chhutani, a temperature
and humidity product manager with the Love Controls Division of Dwyer
Instruments Inc., Michigan City, Ind., outlines a simple process to identifying
the amount of control needed for your processes. Temperature and process
controllers run the gamut from simple to complex -- from on/off to smart,
fuzzy-logic control that responds to feedback from your process. Review
Chhutani’s article to learn how to identify how much control is just enough
while avoiding unnecessary expense and process complications.
Infrared sensors determine the temperature of an object without making physical
contact with it. This noncontact characteristic can be important in
applications such as food processing and powder curing, where it is critical to
know the temperature of the product rather than the oven air temperature. This
case history describes how Casa Herrera Inc., Pomona, Calif., a manufacturer of
ovens and other specialty equipment for corn and flour tortilla manufacturing,
added noncontact infrared sensors from Raytek Corp., Santa Cruz, Calif., to
their food processing equipment. The noncontact technology helps optimize the
performance of gas-fired ovens.
Finally, “A Water-Saving Solution for Chilling Plastics” explains how a new
chiller system helped Goex Corp., Janesville, Wis., a manufacturer of rigid
plastic sheet and roll stock products, reduce its dependence on city water --
and the attendant high water costs. Using the water-cooling system to cool
Goex’s sheet-extrusion lines reduced water consumption costs and yielded a
two-year payback.
Linda Becker
Associate Publisher & Editor
BeckerL@bnpmedia.com
Put the Pieces Together
November 2, 2007
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